New Beginnings
by Mizzykitty
Summary: An AU storyline asking what if Ryousuke had been an only child, and Keisuke had been adopted?
1. Chapter 1

Ryousuke sat quietly at his desk, as he had been taught. Actually, he was so full of nervous energy that he would rather have been running around, but a man waits with dignity. Only a child would show his anxiety. With that in mind, he sat up straighter. He was supposed to be reading his lessons, but all he could do was stare out the window. In a park just visible through the trees, children ran about, no doubt playing soccer, or maybe even kickball. Ryousuke envied them, more than even he realized. When they went outside to play, he had to stay inside and study. He had to act like a responsible adult, while other kids got to behave like total babies. Knowing that he made his parents proud made it more bearable, but sometimes, deep down, he felt like he could trade all the respect and dignity in the world for just a fraction of the sheer happiness that other children seemed to enjoy.

He sighed. All his life he'd been told that he would one day succeed his father as head of the family. He would have to manage the family's wealth, oversee its affairs, and ensure their continued prosperity. His father had begun assigning him responsibilities, one every year since he was 10, and he'd learned that it was not something to anticipate with pleasure. This year, Ryousuke turned 14. A few days ago, after the last of the leftover birthday cake had been eaten, his father had sat him down in his study and explained his new responsibility.

"_Son, I know you haven't been looking forward to this. You've been __a bit more pensive than usual these last couple months." Ryousuke opened his mouth to protest, but his father put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. "You can't hide it from me. I know what it's like, remember? I was once your age. I know it's hard, and the pressure can get overwhelming at times. But there is hope. You don't have to bear it alone." His father smiled, and his eyes lit with a mischievous gleam that made Ryousuke sit up with interest. "This year, I'm going to give you something that I think you will love. You know your uncle Tatsuya?"_

_Ryousuke nodded._

"_You know he's not actually your uncle?"_

_Ryousuke hesitated._

"_He is not technically related to us by blood. When I was a boy, he came to live with our family. He was like a brother to me, and we grew very close. Over the years, he has been my friend, my confidant, my right hand in all matters business and personal. I know that I can count on him in any situation. What he has meant to me, and to our family, it cannot be measured."_

_Ryousuke was surprised when his father paused to collect himself. It was unlike his father to show much in the way of emotion, so it was slightly unnerving to see him so deeply moved by a conversation._

"_I g__uess what I'm trying to say is, I'm going to bring a boy to live with us. He is going to be there for you, the way Tatsuya was, and still is, for me. A man with a lot to lose needs someone to watch his back, Ryousuke. Remember that."_

_Ryousuke stared at his father in utter shock. His mind buzzed with questions, which came pouring out of him when he'd finally recovered enough to speak._

"_Have you p__icked someone already? Who is he? Where does he come from? What does he look like? How old is he? What's his name?"_

"_Whoa, slow down," his father said with a chuckle. "I have in fact chosen a boy from the children's home. According to the caseworker, he has only lived there for a month. Before that, he lived with his father in the Myougi area. His name is Keisuke. He's 12, so he won't be in your class, I'm afraid."_

_Ryousuke tried, but failed to keep his expression from faltering. Keisuke would make friends with the other kids in his class first. It was unlikely Ryousuke would even get a word in before someone told Keisuke what a weirdo he was. Then Keisuke would never want to be his friend. So much for his father's brilliant plan._

"_Ryousuke, don't pout," his father commanded. "I tried very hard to find the right person for you. There were a lot of factors to consider, not just his age. This was as close as I could get, and you should be grateful."_

_Ryousuke forced a smile._

"_I am grateful__. I'm really excited to meet him, and I know that we'll be the best of friends, like you and Uncle Tatsuya."_

_His father grinned._

"_That's the spirit. Now go wash up; it's time for dinner."_

Despite his best efforts to remain calm, Ryousuke's hands wrung themselves in his lap of their own accord. Any minute now his father would arrive with the new boy, and the rejection could begin. Eventually, his father would see that it wasn't working, and then he would know what a failure his son was.

Downstairs, he heard the front door open and his father's hollow footsteps tapped a death knell upon the marble foyer floor.


	2. Chapter 2

Keisuke sat quietly on the hard, institutional chair. He tried to keep from fidgeting, but it was difficult not to under the circumstances. He didn't want to be there, but since he couldn't think of anywhere else he'd rather be, he decided he might as well stick it out. A month ago, his father had been arrested for assaulting someone in a bar. Being a somewhat habitual offender, he had been sentenced to three months in jail in the hopes that it would straighten him out. Keisuke, of course, hadn't found out until later. When his father hadn't come home that night, he hadn't concerned himself. The next day, he'd worried a little. And on the third day, child services had come for him.

So here he was, sitting, waiting, and hoping. A month in the home was enough to convince him that getting placed was definitely the way to go. He didn't want to spend any more time there than he absolutely had to. His caseworker had warned him, however. People didn't like to take in boys his age, and anyway there was a strong likelihood that he could return to live with his father once the three month sentence was up. He didn't relish the thought of living in the home for another two months, nor did he particularly want to live with his father again. So, this was his chance. He'd been told that a wealthy man was looking for a boy to adopt, a companion for his son who would be close to him in age. He was to be taken for a trial period, at the end of which he could be sent back if he proved unsuitable. He was also told that this was very likely the only chance he would get, so he had better behave himself (this with a knowing look).

Without warning, the heavy door flung open and the caseworker burst into the room, followed by a man. Keisuke jumped out of his seat and stood awkwardly before the tall, smartly dressed man, who regarded him with the most intense scrutiny.

"Hello, young man. I've heard a lot about you. My name is Takahashi Hayato. I'm glad that we can finally meet," the man said, bowing slightly. His voice was deep, his tone pleasant. He was taller than Keisuke had expected, and his presence was intimidating, to say the least. Keisuke's tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth and his whole body felt as if it were filled with lead weights. Eventually, the caseworker gave him a meaningful look from the behind the man and motioned for him to say something.

"Kobayashi Keisuke. Nice to meet you," he said finally. He gave the man a stiff bow that he was sure looked as stupid as he felt.

"Well," the caseworker said, rushing into the uncomfortable silence that followed, "Would you like more time to interview him, or will this be satisfactory?"

Mr. Takahashi eyed him, and seemed to consider for just a fraction of a second too long. Keisuke felt his heart drop into his shoes. He wasn't good enough, after all. He stared at the floor, and waited to be taken back to his room. Suddenly, he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder.

"Don't pout, young man. You should be grateful for this opportunity. Now come, we have much to discuss."

Keisuke sat in the car and stared straight ahead at the open road. In his lap, he tugged and twisted the bottom of his t-shirt till it was wrinkled and wet with the sweat from his hands.

"Keisuke, it's unseemly to fidget with your clothing. A man always waits with dignity and calm assurance."

Keisuke scowled at the reprimand. Prickles of irritation traveled up his spine. He hated being told what to do, and this man was no exception.

Catching the look on his face from the corner of his eye, Takahashi said, "Let's get this all out in the open, shall we? I know about the issues you had at your school, the fighting, and the problems with your teachers. I know that your father was not much of one, and you had very little in the way of discipline. But that was the past, and this is your future. You are going to attend the same school that my son attends, and I won't have you causing problems there. From now on, you are going to be a model citizen, a shining example of what a young man should be. You're to be polite, well groomed, obedient, and respectful. The way I see it, you have two choices. You can either comply and have a bright and promising future as a part of my family, or you can choose to ignore me and return to your old life. The decision is yours."

Keisuke tried to push past the waves of resentment that welled up in response to being spoken to in such a condescending manner. He knew that despite the pomposity of it, he was being given a very real chance here. Perhaps this was what it was like to take control of your life. It wasn't an easy decision to make, but at least he got to choose his fate, rather than having it thrust upon him. With deliberate care, he let go of his shirt and smoothed it down over his lap. Then he clasped his hands together and willed himself to stop twitching.

Mr. Takahashi chuckled.

"I think you and my son are going to get on like a house on fire."


	3. Chapter 3

Ryousuke wanted to race downstairs but instead he walked…hurriedly.

"Ah, Ryousuke," his father said, raising an eyebrow at him as he almost tripped over himself in his haste to reach the foot of the stairs. "This is Keisuke." He stepped aside and pushed a rather truculent boy forward.

Neither said anything at first. Ryousuke saw a boy who looked scruffier than he had ever been allowed to get. His spiky, bleached-blonde hair was tousled and greasy. He wore a stained and wrinkled t-shirt over a pair of very baggy and well-worn cargo pants. He looked like one of those tough kids from the wrong side of town. At least, that's what television had led him to believe that children from the wrong side of town looked like. To his horror, the boy was grinding a dirty sneaker into the carpet.

Ryousuke felt the weight of his father's stare on him.

"I'm…Ryousuke. Nice to meet you."

The boy squinted at him, and then said awkwardly,

"Nice to meet you, too."

His father smiled.

"Wonderful. Ryousuke, can you show him his room?"

"It's this way," Ryousuke said, scurrying up the stairs. Eager didn't even begin to describe how he felt as he led the way down the hall past his room and to the last room in the hall. He opened the door to reveal a simple bedroom with a single bed, a chest of drawers, and a small desk. Aside from a few personal knickknacks, it very much resembled Ryousuke's room next door. "Here it is," he said. "Did you leave your stuff in the car?"

Keisuke dropped his backpack on the bed.

"Uh…no. This is it."

Ryousuke blinked.

"Oh."

Keisuke flopped down onto the bed and grinned.

"Nice place you got here."

Ryousuke shrugged.

"I guess so. Wh…what was it like at the home? I heard it was like jail, for kids."

Keisuke snorted.

"Geez, it wasn't that bad! I mean, we couldn't leave the building or nothin', but they didn't beat us or feed us rice gruel."

"Oh. So…it was ok, then?"

"Oh yeah, it was like a fucking trip to Disneyland," Keisuke cracked.

Ryousuke winced, but deep down, a small part of him thrilled at the casual swearing.

"My dad says that you used to live with your dad." Ryousuke said, hoping to elicit some conversation.

"Yah. He's gone, though. Got sent to jail for fighting."

"What happened to your mom?"

"She died awhile ago."

"Oh." Ryousuke never knew how to respond to other people's problems. He'd had so few of his own that he couldn't really sympathize. But honestly, he thought the real problem was that he just didn't know how to relate to people. He'd thought long and hard on the subject, on why he never seemed to know what to do or say in social situations, and that was the conclusion that he had come to. Knowing that, however, didn't mean he was any closer to doing anything about it. "I'm sorry," he said, but even he heard the shallowness of the sentiment.

Keisuke waved the conversation aside.

"Doesn't matter."

The sound of the front door slamming diverted their attention from the uncomfortable subject.

"I'm home!" a woman's voice echoed up the stairs.

"My mom's home," Ryousuke explained. "We'll have dinner soon. Do you want to wash up?"

Keisuke frowned.

"What for?"

"Um, you know, for dinner. Like your hands, and stuff…"

Keisuke examined his hands, and then shrugged.

"Whatever."

"The bathroom's in here," Ryousuke said, leading him into the adjoining bathroom that they both shared. There were two sinks, so he went to one and thoroughly washed his hands and face with soap. After he'd dried off with the towel, he was glad to see that Keisuke had copied him and was ready to go as well. Ryousuke smiled. "Great." He proceeded to take them downstairs. "My mom volunteers at the hospital on Mondays and Wednesdays, so Sayako our housekeeper cooks dinner on those days. Don't tell my mom, but Sayako's dinners are the best!"

"You have a housekeeper?" Keisuke asked.

Seeing the look on his face, Ryousuke felt compelled to correct his obvious misconception.

"She doesn't live here. She just cleans the house, and does the laundry, and on Mondays and Wednesdays she cooks. She goes home at night, to her own house."

"Oh," Keisuke said, although Ryousuke couldn't quite tell if he actually understood or not. "Howcome your mom doesn't do all that stuff if she doesn't go to work?"

Ryousuke shrugged.

"I don't know. I guess she doesn't like to."

They crossed the foyer at the bottom of the stairs and entered the dining room. Sayako was already setting food on the table. His parents were talking quietly, clearly waiting for them to arrive.

"Ah, Ryousuke, Keisuke, excellent timing," his father said, breaking off their conversation.

"Oh, hello, Keisuke," his mother said. She hurried over to give him a hug, which he seemed to tolerate, although he looked distinctly uncomfortable. "I'm Takahashi Miyu." She smiled. "I'm so very pleased to welcome you to our home. Come, have a seat," she said, ushering him to the table.

Ryousuke didn't know it then, but it was one meal that he would always remember.


	4. Chapter 4

Keisuke made his way down the corridor, the last bell still ringing in his ears.

"Hey, Keisuke, wait up!" someone called from behind him.

He turned and waited as the boy ran to catch up with him, the slapping of his sneakered feet echoing off the painted concrete walls.

"Hey," Keisuke said, having momentarily forgotten the boy's name. It was only his first day of school, after all. To be honest, he'd been dreading school, but the day had gone surprisingly well. Already, he had a group of boys who seemed quite anxious to get to know him, and even a couple girls making eyes at him during lunch. Overall, it seemed like a prosperous beginning.

"What are you doing now? Some of the guys are going to the corner shop for a drink. Wanna come?"

"Umm…I dunno. I gotta meet…my brother…first." It felt incredibly strange to say, but he supposed he'd better start getting used to it. He shifted the bag strap on his shoulder into a more comfortable position and continued down the corridor.

"Oh, well he can come too, I guess," the boy said, falling in step with him.

They emerged into the bright afternoon sun, and Keisuke marveled at the pleasantly sculpted landscape of the school's grounds. Everything was so green and pretty. He'd never seen anything like it, except maybe on television. He scanned the crowd of children in search of Ryousuke, but didn't see him.

"Where is he?" the boy asked.

Keisuke shrugged.

"Maybe he's not out here yet."

Angry shouts snapped their attention to a group of boys in the courtyard. They were arranged in a circle on the other side of an ornamental bed of Japanese maples, shouting taunts at some hapless individual. Keisuke shook his head. Asshole bullies, it seemed, were ubiquitous. Just then, the circle expanded a bit, and he got a clear view of the victim. In an instant, he'd hopped over the stair railing and was marching across the courtyard.

"What're you gonna do, tell your mommy?" Keisuke heard the ringleader taunt as he neared the group of boys. Without a word, he grabbed the boy by the scruff, turned him around, and decked him. The older boy went down for the count, blood running down his face as he clutched pitifully at his nose.

Keisuke glared at the rest of the boys in the gang.

"Anybody else got somethin' to say?"

Shocked by the suddenness of the attack, they could only gape at him with their mouths half open. In their world, altercations usually began and ended with nothing more than a lot of tough talk and hollow threats. They glanced at one another, clearly at a loss. Slowly, they dispersed, none daring to say anything till they were out of earshot and arm's reach.

Keisuke grabbed Ryousuke's arm and hauled him to his feet.

"You ok?"

Though dirty and disheveled, Ryousuke appeared unharmed. He seemed relieved, but also surprised, which made Keisuke wonder. Didn't anyone ever stick up for the poor kid? Sure, he was kind of weird and dorky, but he wasn't hopelessly unfriend-able. In fact, there was something about him. Keisuke wasn't sure why, but he felt at ease around this boy, and that didn't happen often.

"I'm ok…thanks."

"No problem. I guess it's nice to know that even rich schools have bullies," Keisuke said. He bent to retrieve the objects that had been dumped out of Ryousuke's bag.

"It is?" Ryousuke asked incredulously.

Keisuke paused, thought about it, and then shook his head.

"Not really."

Ryousuke gave him a wide eyed stare for a moment, and then smothered a snicker with his hand.

Keisuke grinned.

"Come on, let's get out of here."

"Hey, are you all right?" the boy from earlier said as he ran up to them. "I saw what happened. Those guys are such jerks."

"I'm ok," Ryousuke said, straightening his shirt and jacket.

A name popped into his mind, and Keisuke pounced on it.

"Er, Ryousuke, this is Shigeru. Shigeru, my brother Ryousuke."

Ryousuke gave the boy a nervous smile, and a rather curt 'hello'.

Shigeru returned his smile with a lopsided one of his own.

"Do you still want to go to the shop?" he asked Keisuke. "You can come too, if you want," he added to Ryousuke.

"Will it be ok?" Keisuke asked, deferring to Ryousuke.

"Um…yes," Ryousuke said.

"Great, let's go then!" Shigeru said.


	5. Chapter 5

Ryousuke quailed at the look on his father's face. It was rare to see him quite so angry.

"Would you like to explain to me why I was interrupted at work today by some boy's hysterical parents?" he demanded, glaring at Keisuke. Without waiting for a reply, he continued, "I thought I'd made myself clear about this sort of thing!"

"They started it," Keisuke mumbled under his breath.

"How is that relevant? You made a promise to me that you would refrain from fighting. This was your first day of school, for god's sake! I would have thought that you could go at least one day without getting into a schoolyard brawl!"

"Well I guess I can't!" Keisuke retorted angrily.

His father's jaw clenched.

"I really thought we had an understanding, that I'd gotten through to you, but I guess I was wrong. If you can't even follow the most basic rules, then this just isn't going to work. I'll call the home tomorr-"

"Wait, Dad, it was my fault!" Ryousuke interjected.

His father ignored him.

"Now you have Ryousuke lying for you? This is ridiculous!"

"No, Dad, listen!" Ryousuke said, raising his voice. "It really was my fault!"

His father put his hands on his hips and turned the full force of his glare on him.

"How, might I ask, was it your fault?"

Ryousuke's first reaction was to shrink back in terror, but he stood his ground defiantly. Keisuke needed him, and he wasn't going to be a baby, not when the stakes were this high.

"Those stupid guys were picking on me, and Keisuke got rid of them. So…don't send him away! He was just trying to help."

His father gave them a suspicious sniff.

"Is that true?" he asked Keisuke.

Keisuke shrugged.

"I guess."

His father's gaze skipped from one of them to the other as a perplexed frown drew a little vertical line between his eyes.

"I'm disappointed in you both," he said at last. "I expected more out of you, Ryousuke, than to let yourself get victimized by schoolyard bullies. And you, Keisuke, could have shown a bit of thought and restraint, instead of solving your problems with violence. I think that both of you could do with a little time to reflect on your mistakes, so you're both grounded for two weeks. That means you come home directly after school. You get no television, no video games, and no dessert. You got that?"

They both nodded.

"You will also each receive a reading assignment, and at the end of the two weeks, you're to submit an essay on what you've learned from it. I'll choose an appropriate book tomorrow. Understood?"

Again, both boys nodded.

"Good. You're dismissed. Go wash up for dinner."

Ryousuke breathed a sigh of relief as they shut themselves in the bathroom.

"That could have been a lot worse."

"Yeah," Keisuke agreed. "Being grounded ain't so bad. I mean, I never got all that stuff anyway," he said with a smirk. "That book thing though, that sounds hard."

Ryousuke had to laugh.

"Don't worry, I'll help you with it. I'm just glad you're going to stay."

Keisuke smiled back at him.

"Yeah, me, too."

Ryousuke grinned at the boy who seemed so different from himself, and felt a warm glow seep through him, like when he drank hot chocolate. Perhaps this wasn't going to be such a disaster after all.


End file.
